Ayeka Talk'n Dirty
by Davner
Summary: Ayeka, woman of loose morals?!


Tenchi Muyo! is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. The author   
owns only the writing.   
BTW: This fic takes place in the OAV universe sometime after  
Kiyone joins the cast but before MnE.  
  
Ayeka Talk'n Dirty  
  
  
Tenchi Masaki rose from the bathtub and dried himself off   
with a nearby towel. He looked at his reflection as he combed his   
hair and frowned at it. He never seemed to be able to get his hair   
right.   
  
Giving up, he put on his bath robe and stepped into the hall.   
He yawned and started for his room with the intent of dressing and   
facing the world. He saw Ayeka turn the corner ahead of him. She   
saw him and smiled, walking towards him.  
  
He smiled as well. "Good morning, Miss...."  
  
Before he could finish, Ayeka was on him, pushing him against   
the wall and clamping her lips firmly over his.  
  
Taken totally by surprise, Tenchi blinked in astonishment.   
He tried to break away, but Ayeka held onto him with the strength   
of a bear. After what seemed like several minutes, she came up   
for air.  
  
"MISS AYEKA?!"  
  
Ayeka smiled at him and ran her fingers through his wet hair.   
"Ten-chan," she whispered. "Take me to bed,"  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"THERE SHE IS!" Tenchi looked up and saw Washu, Kiyone, and   
Mihoshi standing at the end of the hall. Washu was pointing at   
Ayeka.  
  
Mihoshi's hand went to her mouth as she saw the rather   
intimate position Tenchi and Ayeka were in. "Oh, my!"  
  
"Little Washu!" Tenchi cried in surprise. "It's not what   
you think!"  
  
Washu ignored him. "GRAB HER!"  
  
Ayeka jumped behind Tenchi. "Ten-chan! Don't let them hurt   
me!" As she said this, she wrapped her arms around him possessively.  
  
Tenchi didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't about   
to let this continue without an explanation. He held his palms   
out as the trio of women approached.  
  
"Wait a second! What's going on!?"  
  
"Tenchi," Kiyone said, "Step aside."  
  
"Ten-chan, please!" Ayeka begged behind him.  
  
Ryoko and Sasami chose that moment to make an appearance.   
Ryoko actually seemed annoyed with Sasami.  
  
"Sasami! Why *shouldn't* I go see Tenchi? What's wrong?!"  
  
Sasami was holding her arm, trying to lead her back down the   
stairs. "Please, Ryoko! Just come with me!"  
  
"Has everyone gone insane?!" Tenchi asked.  
  
Ryoko looked up at the scene before her and blinked. She   
saw Ayeka holding Tenchi possessively and grinned. "Well, well,   
well," she said. "Is the little princess finally making her move?"  
  
Instead of turning red in embarrassment and arguing with her   
like Ryoko expected her to, Ayeka latched firmly onto Tenchi and   
kissed him again.   
  
"WHAT THE HELL!?!?" Ryoko cried.  
  
Sparks began to fly from the gem on Ryoko's wrist. Ayeka   
released Tenchi and turned to Ryoko again. "I'm just taking you   
up on your offer, Ryoko," she said with a smile.  
  
"What offer?!"  
  
"Why, to go first, of course," Ayeka replied innocently.   
Tenchi's jaw dropped along with Ryoko's. "You can have him once   
I'm finished." She began to tug on his arm, leading him to her   
room. "Of course, that's *if* he even wants you after I'm through   
with him."   
  
"Now wait just a minute!" Ryoko cried.  
  
"Could someone *PLEASE* tell me what's going on?!" Tenchi   
cried.  
  
"I can explain," Washu told him. They all turned to her   
except for Ayeka, who was nuzzling Tenchi's neck. "You see, Tenchi,   
I was conducting an experiment involving emotional inhibitors."  
  
"What?"   
  
"They're the chemicals in your body that make you feel things   
like fear. Fear of death, fear of embarrassment, rejection and   
the like. I was experimenting with ways to neutralize these   
chemicals. So....I kinda...um....borrowed Ayeka."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Mmmm hmmm," Washu told him. "And I succeeded! Ayeka no   
longer has a fear of embarrassment!"  
  
Kiyone blinked. "Wow, you turned her into Ryoko!"  
  
Washu blinked. "A very astute observation, Kiyone." Ryoko   
just growled.  
  
Tenchi was still grappling with Ayeka, trying to pry her off   
him the same way he might Ryoko. "So, what you're saying is..."  
  
"Yup!" Washu said proudly, "Those things that force Ayeka   
to keep her true feelings bottled up no longer exist!"  
  
Tenchi tried to pay attention as Ayeka showered his face   
with kisses.  
  
"However, she got out of the lab somehow, and we've been   
looking for her all morning. I was hoping to get to her before she   
got to you but..." She shrugged.  
  
Ayeka leaned close to Tenchi's ear and began to speak softly,   
but urgently. "Nestia non dala dien. Fomo kala tien den,   
Ten-chan..."   
  
Tenchi blinked. "Huh?"  
  
Washu was blinking as well. "Hmmm. Didn't know Ayeka spoke   
Mollidoni."  
  
"Is that what that is?" Mihoshi asked.  
  
Washu nodded. "Yeah, Jurain schools have a three year   
foreign language requirement."  
  
"What's she saying?" Kiyone asked.  
  
"Malas no, Ten-chan! Malas no wen tena no'dal!" Tenchi   
turned red simply from the tone of her voice.  
  
Washu blushed. "Mihoshi, you'd better go get a bucket of ice   
water, because if she translates that for him..."  
  
That's all Ryoko needed to hear. She teleported next to the   
two and pushed Tenchi out of the way, facing off with Ayeka.   
"Tenchi, take five!"  
  
Ayeka folded her arms over her chest. "Ryoko, really. I   
don't see what your problem is. You *told* me I could go first.   
It's too late to take it back now."  
  
"I can't believe you, Ayeka! Don't you have even a bit of   
shame!?"  
  
Washu raised her hand and cleared her throat. "No, Ryoko.   
Remember? That's the problem."  
  
"WELL, FIX IT, DAMMIT!" Ryoko shouted at the scientist.   
"Reverse it! Do *something*!"  
  
Washu looked embarrassed. "Yeah, about that...."  
  
Tenchi paled. "Please tell me you can fix it."  
  
Washu looked insulted. "I'm the greatest scientific genius   
in the universe!" she told him haughtily. "Of course I can fix it!"  
  
Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"I just don't know how yet."  
  
Tenchi facefaulted.  
  
Ryoko teleported next to her and lifted the petite scientist   
up by the front of her Science Academy uniform. "How long until   
you *do* know how?"  
  
Washu responded by nodding at something behind Ryoko. Ryoko   
turned to see Ayeka glomping Tenchi again.  
  
"Ack!" Ryoko dropped Washu and set about prying the   
overemotional princess off Tenchi.  
  
Washu straightened her uniform and began to speak. "The   
process is experimental. If I rush it, the side effects could be   
dangerous and permanent. I can reverse the process, but it will   
require some time."  
  
"What do we do with her until then?" Kiyone asked.  
  
Washu hmm'd as Ryoko stood between Tenchi and Ayeka, using   
her own body as a shield to prevent Ayeka from getting to him.   
"We could sedate her, I guess."  
  
"For how long, Ms. Washu?" Sasami asked. "You just said   
you don't know how long it would take."  
  
"True, it could be awhile."  
  
Tenchi, busy trying to make it out of ground zero, found time   
to speak up. "Yeah, you can't just keep her knocked out. Isn't   
there another way?"  
  
Washu sighed. "Well, if you can keep an eye on her while I   
work, I suppose she can stay out here."  
  
"Um..wait a sec..." Ryoko began as she grappled with Ayeka.   
"Maybe we should think more on that whole sedation thing..."  
  
Washu smirked. "She's just acting like you do, Ryoko," she   
pointed out. "Maybe a bit more intensely because she's not used   
to it, but aside from that, she's like you. Should we sedate *you*   
everytime you decide to show Tenchi your...affections?"  
  
"It's not quite the same, *Mom*!"  
  
"Sorry, Ryoko, but you're just going to have to live with it   
for awhile."  
  
Tenchi sighed. "Okay, I'm going to go get dressed. We can   
talk about this at breakfast, all right?" He turned to go.  
  
"Wait, Ten-chan!" Ayeka cried. "I'll go with you!"  
  
Tenchi turned red. "Um...Miss Ayeka, really, I...."  
  
"Hey!" Ryoko cried, reaching out and stopping the princess   
before she could follow Tenchi to his room. "What the hell do   
you think you're doing?!"  
  
Ayeka looked Ryoko in the eye and grinned. "Tenchi is a   
prince, after all," she said, "Why shouldn't a beautiful woman   
dress him?" Ryoko's mouth hung open in shock that Ayeka, prim,   
proper *Ayeka*, would say such a thing.  
  
"Holy shit," Kiyone whispered. She turned to Washu again.   
"This is a joke, right? That's not really Ayeka, it's some clone   
or something you created to teach Ryoko a lesson, right?"  
  
Washu arched an eyebrow and whispered. "Damn. I should've   
thought of something like that..."  
  
  
Tenchi sat down to breakfast and began to eat the miso soup   
Sasami had prepared.  
  
That's when he felt it.  
  
Someone had their hand on his left thigh. He growled and   
turned to his left. "Ryoko, how many times do I have to tel..."   
He broke off when he saw Ayeka's face grinning at him slyly, barely   
inches from his own.  
  
"Yes, Ten-chan? You were saying?" He yelped and turned red   
as he felt Ayeka's hand start up his thigh.  
  
"All right! All right!" Ryoko cried, materializing behind   
them. "Break it up, you two! Jeez..."  
  
Ayeka looked at her in annoyance. "Why can't you just go   
away?!"  
  
Ryoko fought back the urge to blast Ayeka into another time   
zone, and controlled her temper. She knew it wasn't really Ayeka's   
fault, and Washu had a good point. If Ayeka was acting just like   
Ryoko, then showing Tenchi how calmly she could handle the situation   
might show him just how overboard Ayeka's reactions were whenever   
Ryoko acted that same way. Either way, she had to keep her temper   
in check.  
  
How hard could it be?  
  
"Sheesh," she muttered under her breath. "Get a room..."  
  
Ayeka, it seemed, had excellent hearing.   
  
"A wonderful idea, Ryoko!" She glomped Tenchi again. "Did   
you hear that, Ten-chan!? Ryoko says it's okay!"  
  
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!!!"  
  
Mihoshi didn't help any. "But Ryoko, didn't you just tell   
her to get a..."  
  
"SHUT UP, MIHOSHI!!"  
  
Tenchi put his head in his hands and took several deep breaths.   
One Ryoko was hard enough to deal with, how was he going to deal   
with two?  
  
  
By noon Ryoko was a nervous wreck.  
  
She had a way of dealing with stress.  
  
A nap.  
  
So that's what she decided to do. She flew up to the rafters,   
found a nice, cozy spot and closed her eyes. A few minutes rest   
and she'd be good as new. As she waited for sleep to overtake her,   
she thought about Ayeka and her new mindset. She thought about   
Washu's earlier comment.  
  
Did she *really* act like that?  
  
After a few minutes in the same room with the new Ayeka,   
Ryoko found her annoying beyond belief. She seemed to have a   
totally one track mind, and she seemed to stop at nothing at getting   
to poor Tenchi. If Ryoko wasn't there to protect him...  
  
(Protect him?)  
  
Why did that sound so familiar?  
  
She mentally shrugged and fell asleep...  
  
When she opened her eyes, she was in the living room. She   
looked down at herself and blinked. She was in a blue and cyan   
kimono. She reached up to her head and found that her hair was in   
some ornate, complicated hairstyle that made her head hurt. She   
saw Tenchi and smiled.  
  
"Hey Tenchi!"  
  
Tenchi turned and returned the smile. "Hello, Miss Ryoko."  
  
(Miss Ryoko?)  
  
Suddenly, someone materialized next to him. It was Ayeka,   
wearing a purple version of one of Ryoko's outfits. She glomped   
Tenchi possessively. Tenchi jumped in startlement and began trying   
to pry her off him.  
  
"Hey! Come on! Ayeka! Jeez! Ack! Hey! Watch your hands!"  
  
"Hey, Ayeka! Get off of him!" Ryoko cried.  
  
Ayeka looked up at her and rolled her eyes skyward. "You   
are such a prude," she commented. "I wonder why you even bother   
hanging around here."  
  
"Can't you see you're bothering him!?"  
  
Ayeka grinned. "Oh, he's not bothered. Are you, Ten-chan?"  
  
Tenchi looked uncomfortable. "Well...um..."  
  
Ayeka laughed. "There! You see, little princess? He   
*likes* it when I do this."  
  
Ryoko fumed. "NO HE DOESN'T!" she exploded. She stormed   
toward Ayeka. "Get off him, you little slut!"  
  
"My, my, my," Ayeka said with a grin. "Such language for a   
princess."  
  
Ryoko found herself stopping dead in her tracks at Ayeka's   
words.  
  
Ayeka looked right at her and continued. "What? What's   
wrong, Ryoko?" She put on a sad face. "Is the tight, little   
princess afraid of making a scene?" Ayeka pouted. Ryoko stood there   
and fumed.  
  
(What are you waiting for?! Blast her!)  
  
Ayeka laughed at her.  
  
Ryoko's eyes shot open. She was lying on the rafter. She   
looked down at herself and sighed in relief when she saw she was   
wearing her own clothes again.  
  
What the hell was that all about?  
  
(Tenchi!)  
  
She hopped off the rafter and flew up the stairs.  
  
She was so afraid that she might turn a corner and find Ayeka   
making out with Tenchi, or worse...  
  
She paused as a disturbing thought hit her. What if, in   
Ayeka's condition, she actually *hurt* Tenchi? She quickened her   
pace as she searched the house for Tenchi and/or Ayeka.  
  
As she searched, she thought about the dream. (What a bitch!)   
she thought. (I don't really act that way, do I? No. It was   
just a stupid dream. Dreams, heh! What do they know?! I'll just   
find Ayeka and keep her from Tenchi. No problem.)  
  
She found Ayeka in her room...  
  
Wearing some rather skimpy, violet lingerie she didn't know   
the princess even owned.  
  
She was certain that Ayeka would never *ever* have confessed   
to owning it, either, had she been confronted with it earlier. Now,   
she posed and examined her image in a full length mirror. Ryoko   
blinked.  
  
Ayeka saw her reflected in the mirror and smiled. "Ah, Ryoko.   
Good. What do you think? Honestly? Do you think Ten-chan would   
like something like this?"  
  
Ryoko gaped.   
  
Ayeka frowned at her silence and turned to her. "Well? Does   
this say, 'Take me, I'm yours,' or doesn't it?"  
  
Ryoko began to cry.  
  
This was going to be harder than she ever imagined.  
  
  
The door to the lab opened and closed quickly. Washu turned   
and found Tenchi standing there, his back to the now shut door,   
breathing hard.   
  
"Hide me!" he cried.  
  
Washu arched an eyebrow and typed a few keys on her keyboard.   
A dimensional hole opened up next to Tenchi. Without a second   
thought, he dived into it.  
  
And not a moment too soon.  
  
As the hole closed after Tenchi, the lab door opened, and   
Ayeka dashed inside. The princess was wearing a simple shirt and   
shorts. She looked around and giggled. "Ten-chan!" she called   
gleefully. "Come out, come out, where ever you are!" She began   
searching the lab. Washu calmly turned back to her holotop.  
  
"Hello, Ayeka," she said casually. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely wonderful, Little Washu!" Ayeka said happily   
as she crouched to look under a lab table.  
  
"Really?" Washu asked in interest.  
  
"Oh, yes," Ayeka assured her. She lifted a tarp from a   
machine and found no one hiding beneath it. "Drat," she said in   
disappointment.  
  
"I would've thought you'd feel...distressed...at your   
behavior."  
  
"Oh, no, Little Washu," Ayeka told her as she snuck up on   
a closet. She jumped forward and opened the door, revealing some   
scientific instruments, but nothing else. "It's odd, I admit, but   
it's wonderful too. It's like being able to walk after being   
paralyzed, or being able to see again after being blind."  
  
"Hmmm." An interesting question came to Washu's mind. "If   
you had a choice, would you want to stay this way?"  
  
Ayeka turned to her and blinked. "Well, I never really   
thought about it. I think about the prude I used to be, and I admit   
the idea of going back....disturbs me."  
  
"Hmmm."  
  
Ayeka noticed a nearby trunk and leapt forward, sitting on   
it. "Oh, Ten-chan!" she sang out. "You're not coming out of that   
trunk until you tell me you love me!"  
  
Washu cleared her throat. Ayeka looked up and saw Washu   
shake her head. Ayeka's face fell.   
  
"Dammit! Where did he get to!?"  
  
Washu shrugged.  
  
"Hmmm. He must have slipped out the back," she mused. She   
hopped up off the trunk and dashed for the lab door. "He can't hide   
from me!" she called out as she ran out of the lab.  
  
Washu sighed as she watched the princess go. She hit a key   
on her holotop and the dimensional hole opened up again. Tenchi   
poked his head through.  
  
"Is she gone?"  
  
"Yeah, you can come out now."  
  
Tenchi sighed in relief and climbed out of the hole. Washu   
returned to her experiment.  
  
"Tenchi," she began as she typed, "What do you think of the   
new Ayeka?"  
  
Tenchi blinked and approached the scientist. "Well, to be   
honest, I'm not sure. On one hand, it's rough having another girl   
like Ryoko around, but on the other, I kinda like this side of   
Ayeka. She seems so much more comfortable with herself than she   
used to be."  
  
"Hmmm. What if I can't reverse the effects?" she asked.  
  
Tenchi was taken aback. "You don't think you can cure her?"  
  
"She's not really sick, Tenchi," Washu said a little angrily.   
"She's just more free with her emotions."  
  
"I'm sorry. But you *can* cure her, right?"  
  
Washu sighed. "Maybe," she said. "I'm asking you, what if   
I can't?"  
  
"Well," he sighed, "I guess I'd just have to get used to the   
new Ayeka, but I'd miss the old one."  
  
Washu nodded. "Thank you, Tenchi. I need to get back to   
work."  
  
"All right, Little Washu." He opened the lab door a crack   
and peered outside, checking for purple tresses. Seeing none, he   
left the lab and closed the door behind him.  
  
Washu turned back to her experiment. The, 'cure,' as Tenchi   
liked to call it, was almost ready.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ayeka," she whispered.  
  
  
The sun was going down over Masaki Shrine when he found her.   
She was sitting on a hollow log on the shore of the lake, crying.  
  
Tenchi blinked. (What is this about?) He moved toward her   
cautiously.  
  
"Ayeka?" he asked.  
  
She looked up and quickly turned away, covering her face   
with her hands. "Oh, Tenchi! Don't look at me! I'm so ashamed!"   
She continued to cry, her shoulders shook as she sobbed.  
  
Tenchi sighed in realization. "Washu gave you the cure,   
didn't she?"  
  
Ayeka nodded slowly. Tenchi sighed again and sat down next   
to her.  
  
"Ayeka, it's okay," he said. "You were under the influence   
of one of Washu's experiments. It's not your fault."  
  
"I acted so shamefully, Tenchi!" she weeped, her face buried   
in her hands. "I'm so sorry!"  
  
He placed his hand on her shoulder. "There's no reason to   
be sorry, Ayeka. It's okay."  
  
"I'm just so afraid that you hate me now!"  
  
Tenchi smiled. "Of course not. I could never hate you. I   
care about you a great deal, Ayeka."  
  
"Oh, Ten-chan! That's so wonderful of you to say!"  
  
Tenchi blinked. (Ten-chan?)  
  
Suddenly, Ayeka was on him! He cried out as he fell backwards   
off the log and onto the ground, Ayeka landing on top of him. He   
looked up and blinked in astonishment. She grinned mischievously   
at him, her face dry, free of tears. She bent down and began   
kissing him.  
  
"What the hell!?" he cried out as soon as she released him   
long enough to breathe. "I thought...But you said....I THOUGHT   
YOU SAID YOU WERE CURED!!!"  
  
She giggled. "Oh, Ten-chan..." She caressed his face. "So   
naive, but that's one of the reasons I love you." She began   
planting kisses all over his face.  
  
"You lied?!"  
  
She grinned and nodded. She resumed kissing him.  
  
"Ayeka, let me up!"  
  
She blinked. "But, Ten-chan! We're not finished!"  
  
"Oh, we're finished, all right!" Tenchi told her. "Let me   
up! Now!"  
  
Ayeka looked miserable. "But Ten-chan, I..."  
  
She shrieked as she was suddenly pulled off Tenchi forcibly.   
She looked up and found Ryoko standing there.  
  
"Ryoko! What do you think you're doing!?"  
  
"Look, Ayeka, enough's enough! Even I know that there's a   
line you're not supposed to cross, and that was pretty much it!"  
  
Tenchi blinked at her tone. "Ryoko, it's okay..."  
  
"It's not okay, Tenchi!" Ryoko told him. "Tricking you?!   
*Lying* to you?! The Ayeka we know wouldn't do those kind of   
things! Don't you see?! It's getting worse! Washu's experiment   
took away more than her fear of embarrassment! It took away her   
moral inhibitions! You saw her! She had no qualms about luring   
you out here and lying to you! Our Ayeka would never stoop so low!"  
  
"How dare you?!" Ayeka cried, climbing to her feet. "You're   
one to talk, you mannerless slut! I should've called for your   
execution when my parents visited!"  
  
"Our Ayeka wouldn't have done that either," Tenchi muttered.  
  
Ayeka blinked. "What?"  
  
"Look, Ayeka," Ryoko said, "Just come with us to Washu's lab.   
Maybe she can do something before it gets any worse."  
  
"I don't need a doctor," Ayeka growled. "I *need* Ten-chan.   
Now get out of the way!"  
  
Ryoko shook her head. "Ayeka, you're sick," she said softly.   
"Let us help."  
  
"I don't want your help! I *want* Ten-chan! And if you get   
in my way, Ryoko, I won't go easy on you."  
  
Tenchi stepped forward. "Ayeka, stop this."  
  
"Ten-chan, don't you see?!" Ayeka begged him. "I love you!   
I've loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you! For over   
a year I've wanted nothing more than to tell you that, to show you   
that, and to hear you tell me you felt the same! I wanted so   
desperately to tell you, but something always got in the way! Now   
it's gone! It's *gone*, Ten-chan, and all you can talk about is   
bringing it back! Rebuilding the wall that truly separated us!   
Why?!" Tenchi was speechless. "Why do you keep pushing me away!?"  
  
"Because it's not you, Ayeka!" he cried. Ayeka gasped.   
"Can't you see that?! You're not Ayeka anymore! You're someone   
else! I care about you, Ayeka, but I don't know you anymore. I   
*liked* the old Ayeka."  
  
"The old Ayeka was a prudish old maid!" Ayeka cried. "She   
couldn't tell you how she felt because she was so afraid of what   
would happen afterwards!" She walked right up to him. Ryoko   
didn't interfere, and Tenchi held his ground. "If you care for me,   
Tenchi, then prove it!" She wrapped her arms around him. "Prove   
it," she whispered, a tear running down her cheek.  
  
He shook his head. "Tricking me? *Lying* to me? No, Ayeka.   
I *do* care for you, but I don't *like* you very much anymore,"   
he told her softly.  
  
Tears pooled up in her eyes. She let go of him and stepped   
back. With a cry of rage she slapped him across the face. The   
blow was so powerful, it nearly knocked him over.  
  
"DAMN YOU!" she screamed at him. "Damn you!" She fell to   
her knees before him. "Damn you," she sobbed quietly.  
  
"Ryoko," Tenchi said, "Help me get her inside."  
  
Ryoko nodded and helped Ayeka up.  
  
  
As Ayeka lay asleep on one of the biobeds in Washu's lab,   
Tenchi stood off to the side and watched over her. He hadn't   
wanted to be so cruel, but it was the only way.  
  
"Tenchi,"  
  
He turned and saw Ryoko there next to him. He offered her   
a smile.  
  
"Thank you, Ryoko," he told her. "Thank you for helping   
her like that."  
  
Ryoko sighed. "It's not really her," she said. "I...miss...  
the old Ayeka."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I mean, she could be annoying, and bossy, and rude, and   
arrogant...but...but that's what made her Ayeka."  
  
Tenchi nodded slowly.  
  
"Tenchi....Do you want me to be more like that?"  
  
He turned to her in shock. "Ryoko?"  
  
"I don't mean like rude and bossy, but...well...less....I   
don't know..."  
  
He thought he saw where she was going with this. Ryoko had   
seen a part of herself in the new Ayeka, and hadn't liked it. "No,   
Ryoko," he said finally. Ryoko looked up at him and blinked in   
puzzlement. "I like you both the way you are. If you were to   
suddenly start acting differently...it wouldn't be you. Just like   
the Ayeka we saw today wasn't really her. Maybe I wouldn't mind   
a Ryoko that didn't walk in on me in the bathroom," he put extra   
emphasis on this, hoping she might get a hint, "But I'd miss the   
old Ryoko."  
  
She responded to this in the best way she knew how.  
  
She glomped him.  
  
"Oh, Tenchi! That's so sweet of you to say! And don't   
worry about that bathroom thing!" Tenchi put on relieved smile.   
Then, Ryoko continued. "I won't change one bit! I promise!"   
  
Tenchi face faulted and groaned.  
  
"Hmmm," Ryoko said. "Now I have to call the Home Shopping   
Network and cancel that order of kimonoes...."  
  
Tenchi sighed. "I don't think I want to know...."  
  
  
The sun was once again setting over the Masaki shrine, and   
once again, he found Ayeka standing near the lake. This time,   
however, she was in her usual kimono. He walked up to her. She   
didn't turn to him, didn't acknowledge him.  
  
"Ayeka?" he called softly.  
  
She hung her head in shame. "I'm....so, *so* sorry, Tenchi,"   
she told him. It had been nearly twenty four hours since Washu's   
serum had reversed the effects of the experiment. Ayeka hadn't   
said much, just that she needed to be alone for awhile. That had   
been six hours ago.  
  
He stood next to her. "Don't be," he said. "That wasn't   
you. It was someone else."  
  
"It was me, Tenchi," she told him. "The me I fear most.   
The me that would exist if I ever lost control." She looked at   
him, a lone tear streaking down her cheek. "I keep my feelings   
under tight control, Tenchi, because in my position, I cannot risk   
expressing them. My life is not my own, it belongs to Jurai.   
So I am trapped, stuck with trying to express how I feel with one   
eye on my crown."  
  
"Well, I think you should learn something from this," Tenchi   
told her.  
  
Ayeka nodded. "I promise, Tenchi, I will keep my emotions   
under a tighter reign. If it wasn't for Washu's experiment, they   
would have neve..."  
  
"That's not what I mean," he interrupted her. She blinked   
in confusion. "Ayeka, I think you should do the opposite. Relax,   
express how you really feel more often. We're a trillion miles   
from Jurai. There's no reason to worry about how others would view   
you here. It's better to let out how you feel than to keep it   
bottled up inside. To smash down how you feel is more than   
unhealthy, it's dangerous."  
  
"I...I think I see, Tenchi."  
  
He rested a hand on her shoulder. "It was nice to see you   
smile so often, Ayeka," he told her.  
  
Ayeka laughed. "Maybe I *should* do as you say, Tenchi.   
For no other reason than it seemed to annoy Ryoko a great deal!"  
  
Tenchi found himself laughing at that.  
  
"Come on," he said, "Let's go back inside." Ayeka smiled   
and fell into step beside him. Taking a lesson from her recent   
experience and Tenchi's words, she moved a little closer to him   
than she normally would. Rather than protest, Tenchi smiled.  
  
"Um, Ayeka?" he began.  
  
"Yes, Tenchi?"  
  
"Uh...Yesterday morning, you said some things in some other   
language..."  
  
Ayeka stopped dead in her tracks and turned bright red as   
she remembered.   
  
"Ayeka?"  
  
"Did...did Washu tell you what it meant?"  
  
"No," he said. "But I was wondering...."  
  
"If it's all the same to you, Tenchi, could we forget that   
ever happened?" She spoke nervously.  
  
He smiled and blushed a little, himself.   
  
"Sure, Ayeka."  
  
Tenchi and Ayeka went inside, leaving the sun to sink below   
the horizon alone.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think! ^_^  
  
Davner  
doscher009@hotmail.com 


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